'The fighting first' about the role of United States 1st Infantry Division in various campaigns during World War II. A soldier of United States 1st Infantry Division. Combat boots of soldiers during the civil war and World War I. A map shows the 1st Infantry Division units moving across the Atlantic Ocean towards North Africa for Operation Torch in November, 1942. Soldiers of 1st Infantry Division go to England and loaded onto ships as they move to Africa. U.S. General Terry Allen aboard a ship. Infantrymen fire in Oran, Algeria. Aircraft in flight, explosions occur and a convoy of trucks on advance during the battle in Oran. 1st Infantry Division troops battle against Nazi General Rommel's armies in Tunisia, North Africa. In 1943, men of 1st Infantry Division load onto ships and arrive in Sicily. Troops advance into a town in Sicily after capturing it. Damaged houses in a city in Sicily.

'The Big Picture' episode narrated by Ronald Reagan depicts the life of U.S. General George S Patton, Jr. Opening scene shows General George S. Patton, Jr. stepping from a landing craft in France, during World War 2. He stands by the side of a road and waves, as elements of his 3rd Army pass in tanks. Patton in a jeep moving with his troops. General Patton pointing with a baton, in North Africa. View of a world globe being circled by a satellite. A baby picture of Patton (called "Georgie"). Patton seen as a boy, fencing, as a cadet at the Virginia Military Institute, and as a cadet at the U.S. Military Academy, West Point. A smiling Patton at West Point. Members of the first football team for soldiers established by Patton. Renault tanks of the 1st Tank Battalion moving with AEF soldiers in World War I. Tank commander,Patton standing in front of a Renault tank. Group picture of American soldiers and tanks, at the Tank School, in Fort Meade, Maryland., after World War I. Closeup of Dwight D. Eisenhower and George S. Patton, in the group. Patton and his wife, Beatrice Banning Ayer, in Old West costumes, for a party, where he displays a pistol in his belt, and in costumes for another party, where they dress as a knight and his lady on horseback. American recruits and draftees being issued uniforms in World War 2. Lieutenant General George S. Patton, Jr. commanding forces for the invasion of North Africa, in November, 1942. U.S. Navy warships fire their guns in advance of an amphibious landing. Landing craft heading toward shore. U.S. troops coming ashore at Casablanca, French Morocco. General Patton accompanied by French officers. Glimpse of U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill at their conference in Casablanca in 1943. Patton riding in an armored car with three-star flag displayed. Artillery firing in battle of Tunisia. Lt. Gen. Patton and others observing operations. British General, Sir Harold Alexander, steps from a light airplane to meet with General Patton in North Africa. They converse. Patton and another officer looking through binoculars from a ridge by the village of El Guettar, as allies engage German troops and armor from the 10th Panzer Division. M3 Lee tanks moving in the desert. Knocked out tanks of the German 10th Panzer Division. General Patton coming aboard an American warship, and then standing with an Italian officer and a U.S. Major General. Allied naval bombardment at night. Patton observing though binoculars. Allied warships bombarding Sicily. Allied amphibious forces heading ashore in landing craft. Troops moving ashore. Closeup of troops in a landing craft. Glimpse of Patton in a landing craft. Troops walking across floating dock from a landing ship. U.S. flag flying in sand at beachhead. Landing ships in background. General Patton stepping ashore from small boat, and conversing onshore with a Brigadier General and some troops.

Clip opens with brief World War I scene, circa 1917, of new American army recruits receiving army uniforms being issued by a U.S. Army Quartermaster. Clip then covers U.S. Army Quartermaster Corps' combat operations in various Theaters of Operations during World War II. Quartermaster Corps soldiers with rifles under the cover of a military truck during battle. Troops in trucks. An aircraft in low flight over a field. A U.S. Army truck. A Quartermaster fires an anti aircraft gun. Explosions occur and smoke rises. A British tank in a field. Soldiers beside a truck. Cans and barrels stacked on the ground. An enemy German tank in a field. Soldiers take cover. Quartermasters with guns in a trench. They come up the trench in prone positions. Dramatized battle scene with several Quartermaster corps casualties beside a wire fence. Soldiers prepare a mortar gun. An anti aircraft gun on an army truck. A soldier takes aim and fires a rifle during training. The Quartermaster flag hoisted on a pole. Actual footage shows aerial view of Bataan, and then ground views of groups of remaining U.S. Army soldiers around time of surrender of Bataan in April 1942. American soldier seen with their hands up and under guard of Japanese soldiers during Bataan surrender. Landing crafts arrive at a beach in North Africa. Supplies being offloaded at various battle fronts of World War 2. Soldiers and supplies off-loaded on the beach. Quartermasters seated on supplies boxes. Landing crafts arrive at a beach in the South West Pacific. Troops move across the beach. Troops disembark from landing crafts and move across a beach in Sicily, Italy. The Quartermasters unload boxes of supplies during various beach landings. They unload supplies and fire artillery on a beach head in Italy. Troops in trucks. A convoy of trucks loaded with supplies. Ammunition, ration and personnel in trucks move from Algeria to the Tunisian Front. Explosions occur and smoke rises. Trucks advance through smoke at night and in difficult conditions. Quartermaster General Major General E. B. Gregory speaks about the Quartermaster Corps. He says that the Quartermasters distribute goods to the army during training and combat. The movement of the Corps should be so regulated so as to deliver the goods at the right time in the right quantity.

The life of U.S. General Dwight D Eisenhower during the World War II. Eisenhower with other military officers in the War Plan Office discusses strategy. A mural in the Eisenhower Museum, Abilene, Texas. An animated map shows plan to seize key positions in North Africa. Fight in Algiers and Casablanca. Allied troops fire artillery. Unfavorable weather conditions delay the troops advancing towards Tunis and Bizerte. Allied soldiers walk through mud, allied military vehicles pass through water on the roads. U.S. General Omar Bradley troops capture Bizerte and the British 1st Army captures Tunis. Animated map shows the surrender of the Axis troops. German troops surrender. A ceremony commemorates the victory. General Eisenhower reviews a parade. Eisenhower honored at a ceremony. A mural on a wall of the Eisenhower Museum depicts invasion of Sicily. Allied troops march into Sicily in 1943.Civilians in the streets to celebrate. A mural on the wall of Eisenhower Museum depicts invasion of Italy. Allied troops land ashore and march into Italy. U.S. General Mark Clark 5th Army at Salerno. A sign reads Napoli. Eisenhower comes out of a tent. U.S. President Roosevelt visits the troops in the combat area with Eisenhower. U.S. President Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin in Cairo. Another mural on the wall of the Eisenhower Museum. Eisenhower with other officers. German divisions in France. Eisenhower reviews training of the troops. Churchill inspects the troops. Eisenhower reviews the troops on the eve of invasion.

An Italian military airfield in Sicily. A flight of 7 fighter aircraft in formation, abreast, flies over the field. A row of Macchi C.200 Saetta aircraft parked in front of a hangar (also variously called MC.200 or Macchi 200). A row of Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 Sparviero Trimotor bombers parked across from them. Ground crews loading torpedoes on the bombers. A Reggiane Re.2001 Falco II airplane being serviced. Ground crewman reports to pilots that their bomber is ready. They board and ground crew pulls chocks as the engines are running. View inside the S.79 cockpit with pilot's hand on the triple throttles. The bomber takes off raising lots of dust as it goes. Italian aircraft in flight. British ships sighted below. The Italian bombers attack. Flak bursts in the air. One S-79 skimming the water surface. Other S-79s dropping torpedoes from relatively high altitudes (perhaps 1500 feet). A British warship is struck with large explosion. Italian planes returning with at least two burning British warships left behind. (World War II period).

German gliders in Sicily, Italy during World War II. Landing gears on a German glider are released when it leaves the ground. A DF S-230 glider takes off. Mountains in the background. A Gotha-242 glider in flight. The DFS-230 glider comes in for a landing. The glider lands and a German flight crew gets off the glider. German soldiers push motorcycles through sand. The Gotha-242 glider makes a landing . German troops open the glider to unload supplies.